Stirrups are uniform socks that were commonly worn by baseball players up until the mi-1990s, when major league players began wearing their pants down to the ankles, setting a trend that was soon picked up by players in minor and amateur leagues. Until then, stirrup socks had been an integral part of the traditional baseball uniform, giving them a distinctive look. A high sock was needed since baseball players wore "knickers" which, similar to football pants, came to just below the knee. The stirrup socks served to display team colors, stripes or team logos. For example, for several years the Minnesota Twins wore black stirrups with "TC" on the side, for "Twin Cites". The Houston Astros wore black stirrup socks with a white star on the side. The stirrup sock colors were also the basis of team names, including the Cincinnati Red Stockings (later the "Reds"), Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. For these reasons, traditionalists lament the recent "sockless" look in baseball uniforms.